barcelona diary: origen 99.9%

i never imagined that la cocina catalana would have such delicious vegetarian fare. grilled vegetables, stuffed vegetables, breads, wild greens salads, garlicky cheese spreads and lots of creamy, indulgent desserts. it's simple meditarranean fare cooked with super fresh ingredients and without much fuss.

my friend amy recommended a local meal in barcelona at origen 99.9% which has three locations in the city. we ate a sumptous lunch at the el born restaurant, near the museu picasso. we really wanted to check out the museum but didn't have patience to wait for over 2 hours in the queue to just get in. so we headed straight to origen.

origen 99.9% reminded me a bit of le pain quotidien in manhattan because of the rustic wooden tables and the food treasures for sale. but it's a lot smaller, cosier and somewhat less commericial.

tostada de tupi con higos is cheese and fig confite. tupi is a cheese that comes from the pyrenees and it is mixed with figs cooked in marmalade style to create this delicious, creamy, sweet and salty spread. i love how i got a clove of garlic which i rubbed on the tostada before spreading tupi con higos.


ensalada de hojas silvestres (wild leaves salad in a honey mustard vinaigrette. wild leaves from the pyrennes include chicory, watercress, lamb's lettuce, dandelion and purslane)


berejnena rellena (stuffed brinjals with cooked onions, tomato, milk and flour lightly dressed with a basil olive oil sauce)


and finally, dessert - crema catalana (a crème brûlée-style custard with cinnamon - totally yum yum, especially with a glass of muscat)